Bradford mum fraudulently claimed £24,000 in benefits

Ifra Javed, 27, failed to tell the Department for Work and Pensions that her health had improved after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2012 and has been given a 12-month community order for the wrongly claimed funds.

MORE CRIME: Man who fell from inner ring road bridge arrested over Armley murderJaved, who now has a young son, was overpaid more than £23,500 in disability allowance after failing to inform the DWP of the change in her circumstances following the transplant.

She will have to do 120 hours unpaid as a direct alternative to a prison sentence and must attend up to 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

Prosecutor James Lake told Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday that the defendant's kidney problem required her to have dialysis at home, but five months after having the transplant in late 2012 she was able to walk and no longer required care.

Between April 2013 and May 2017 Javed continued to claim disability allowance totalling £23,683.56 and also received other benefits totalling £361.19 while she was out of the country visiting relatives in Pakistan.

During the hearing it emerged that Javed, of Glenholme Road, Bradford, was first interviewed about her dishonest claims in May 2017 when she made full and frank admissions.

But Javed did not appear before the courts until last month after what her barrister described as "an inordinate delay".

She pleaded guilty to three charges of failing to notify the DWP of the changes in her circumstances.

Barrister Joanne Shepherd also confirmed that her client, who is now working, had entered into a voluntary agreement with the DWP to repay the money at the rate of £50 a month before she was prosecuted for the offences and had been making the payments for the last eight months.

Miss Shepherd said Javed had been born with the kidney condition and it had deteriorated throughout her childhood necessitating the kidney transplant when she was aged about 20.

She said her client had no excuses for her behaviour and was deeply ashamed of her actions.

Miss Shepherd said: "She tells me there is no reason why she can't undertake unpaid work.

"She does want to pay back, not only financially, but to society as a whole, by way of unpaid work."

MORE NEWS: Tourist left stranded in Leeds after burgular stole passport and cash from Air BnB apartmentJudge Colin Burn accepted that after Javed's transplant and her recovery telling the authorities was probably not at the top of her priorities, but he said he was having to deal with her for essentially four years of dishonesty.

He pointed out that there was a limited pot of money and the court had a duty to protect public funds, but he decided it was not necessary to pass a prison sentence in her case.

Javed now faces a further hearing in June under the Proceeds of Crime Act.